


Mass Effect 4: the Continuation

by MalachiXDark



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Action/Adventure, Assassins & Hitmen, Biotics, Elementals, F/F, F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Kick ass - Freeform, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, M/M, Romance, Violence, mass effect 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-06-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:30:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1606871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalachiXDark/pseuds/MalachiXDark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Derek Shepard has defeated the Reapers and lived to see a new day. But the galaxy has a new problem. And Shepard might not be able to handle it alone. With Kaidan, the love of his life, missing along with the rest of the Normandy, Shepard must find them and try to assemble his teams again to fight the new enemies. New enemies have emerged, as well as some powerful allies. Can Shepard pull off the impossible? Again?</p><p>This is a war/military/action story so there will be MUCH violence and cursing. YOU HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED!</p><p>THERE ARE NEW CHARACTERS!!! YAY!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning

I wake up among the debris and cough violently. The air is full of smoke and dust as I slowly open my eyes. The galaxy is enveloped in red as I watch the remnants of the destructive wave cross the plane of my vision. We did it. We stopped them.

Slowly, I get to my feet and look around. The Crucible is in ruins. Much of the structure was ripped off but at least a good quarter is still present. I fish around for my gun on the floor and feel the familiar handle. Sighing, I place it back into its holster of my black armor.

Sounds start to fill the chamber and I redraw the pistol. Inching forward, I begin to see the outline of a holographic figure. Not just any figure. Him.

"Catalyst," I pronounce with caution. He looks up at me and I see that his holographic figure is crying. I stay standing with my gun pointing at him.

"All of my life, gone. It's all gone. The cycle has been...broken. What am I to do?" he sobs.

"I have no clue. But here's a thought. Help us rebuild. With you at the Alliance's side, you can help us. We need your help in this. Your knowledge of the relays can provide us with the information to rebuild them. Please, we need you."

The Catalyst studies me. "Strange. You do not trust me, yet you ask for my help. Why is that?"

I sigh as I hostler the pistol. "Because sometimes, your enemy can be your closest ally after the war is over. With their help and their acceptance of what they were wrong of, they can be your greatest adversary."

The Catalyst nods. "I see. I will present myself to the Council and see what they think. In the mean time, I will help you down from here. Captain Anderson is waiting for you."

This is a shock and I draw in a breath. "I thought he had died!"

"No, he had just blacked out after The Illusive Man shot him. His heart may have stopped, but the destructive wave actually restarted his heart and saved his life. Go now, and I will try to come up with a presentation."

I nod and make my way to the pad that leads down to the bottom floor. "Catalyst?"

He turns and looks at me, puzzled for my outburst. "Yes, Shepard?"

"Thank you. For giving us a chance." The Catalyst nods and disappears. I feel the pad start to descend and begin to imagine what I too am going to say to the Council.

*************************************

"Shepard, my boy!" exclaims Anderson as I reach the bottom. He envelops me in a hug and I laugh.

"Anderson! I thought you died!" I say as he releases me.

"I kinda did but that wave you released brought me back. Illusive Man too but that's taken care of." He motions to the body on the floor. It had moved and was now dissolving. I nod and we walk back outside. I see Kahlee Sanders standing beside a comm station and I motion to Anderson.

"Go. You've earned it," I chuckle. He limps over and she notices him. Kahlee gasps and slowly walks over to him and embraces him tightly. Anderson sighs and kisses her. I grin and then think of Kaidan. My smile fades as I walk over to a comm station.

I start it up and try to signal the Normandy. "This is Commander Shepard, Normandy come in. Normandy, come in." Nothing but static. My heart skips a beat. "Normandy, do you read? Normandy, respond." More static. "Joker, this isn't funny! Signal in, dammit!" Nothing. I'm now officially panicking and have started towards Anderson.

"Anderson," I breathe out as I jog over. My body still hurts after the explosion. He looks over at me and nods to Kahlee. She walks back over to the comm station with a glow over her.

"What is it, Shepard?" he asks, concern written all over his face.

"It's the Normandy, sir. It won't read." His face clouds as we walk back over to the comm I used. "The signal is there, but no one is answering. I can't get a good lock on their location." Anderson bends over the computers and his brow furrows.

"Something isn't right here. They should signal in, unless..." he trails off.

"Unless what?" I nearly shout. My hands have started to shake. Kaidan is out there and I don't know where he is. My heart is beating rapidly and I can't seem to calm it. Calm thoughts, like they taught you. "What, Anderson?"

"Unless...they landed somewhere we haven't explored before. Somewhere we don't even know exists." 

"What does that mean?" I ask, feeling woozy. I grip the desk and try to stand up straight.

"It means...that they are off the grid. We can't find them."


	2. The Damage

I back away from him and chuckle a little. "No, that's a lie. We can find them. The Normandy is state of the art...it can't just...no...nooo." I back up against a wall and slide down into a sitting position. Kaidan. He's just gone? No, he can't be. He might've thought I had died in the Collector attack three years ago, but I refuse to think it.

Anderson walks over and offers a hand. I use it to pull me up and wipe my eyes. "Sorry, Anderson." I shake my head to clear my head. "What do we do now, sir?"

"First off, you can tell me how the hell you pulled this off!" shouts a new voice across the way. We turn to see Admiral Hackett approaching and we salute. "At ease," he says as he shakes my hand.

"Admiral Hackett. Good to see you," I state.

"Shepard. Likewise. Damn, son, you did a hell of a job."

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you. You saved Earth, humanity, and the damn galaxy! No, we should be thanking you!"

"You don't have to, sir. I was just doing my job."

"As humble as ever. Oh, I think someone wants to say hello." He backs away to reveal a familiar person.

I smile and envelop her in a hug. "Mom," I breathe. We're both in armor so it's awkward, but we make it work.

"Derek. Oh, my baby boy," she whispers with so much love that I hear Kahlee sigh. "Don't you ever go without backup again, you hear me? You could've died!"

"I know. It was reckless but I had to try something. I couldn't let the Reapers win."

"Well, you were always one for the dramatics." We laugh and look her square in the face.

"I'm really glad you're here. Dad couldn't make it?"

"No, he's in the Horse Head Nebula doing who knows what. He'll catch a ride on a relay soon."

"Wait, I thought I destroyed all of them."

"Nope. The wave just used them. For some reason, they're still in existence. And the geth? Only the 'heretics' were destroyed."

"So Legion is still alive?" I grin.

"He should be. Now come, we have places to go."

"Mooooooom," I whine, feeling like I'm six again when we were on the Firebrander and she dragged me out everywhere wearing some ridiculous outfit. It was torture. "Don't I get a break?"

"Derek Nickolai Shepard, I did not raise a pansy. Get your ass to the transit now. The Citadel Tower awaits."

I grin. "Yes mother." She grins too as she ruffles my short red hair. I dye it so that way I can be different. We walk, arms linked, to her shuttle before I remember something. "Oh, wait here!" I jog back to Anderson. "Is there anyway we can organize a party to find Kaidan?"

"It's possible, yes, but it'll take the Council's approval. But, you have some sway now. Go, before the line gets too long." I nod and run back to the transit. The doors seal and we race across the Citadel.

***********************************************

We arrive on the Tower itself about ten minutes later and sure enough, there was a huge line of people waiting to get to the Council. I look to my mom and she nods. We weave our way through a crowd of people at some sort of admissions desk until we reach the actual window.

An asari is taking the requests and tickets to maintain order. "State your business." Ow, harsh.

"I'm here to see the Council."

"As is everyone here." Sassy. This should get interesting.

"Well, I need to see them right now, miss."

"It's Reran. And we have a long line. You'll have to wait just like everyone else."

I pull out my dog tags and lay them on the counter. "I think I get a Fast Pass. Don't you?"

She looks at the tags and then at me. Her eyes go wide. "Commander Shepard! Oh, I'm so sorry. Let me get you through right away." The gate opens and I smile.

"Thanks for your help, Reran." Mom and I walk through the gate and walk past the line of beings of every race. Some at first look over in disgust but on further glance, balk, and stay quiet. Others just stay quiet.

We reach the top of the stairs and the Council comes into view. We walk to the head and the they dismiss everyone else in the line. The salarian councilor looks over me. "Shepard, you survived."

I pat myself down. "Really? I did?"

The turian councilor grunts. "There is no time for your sarcasm."

'I think I've earned it.

The asari leans forward. "Shepard, what you have done...my, what you have done....there are so many people in your debt now."

I approach them in a non-combative manner. "Then please listen to me. I need your help finding my crew. The Normandy is out there somewhere and I need to find them."

The salarian councilor perks up. "You mean, find your mate, Kaidan Alenko. The charges of fraternization have piled up since you-"

"Do you think I care?! Has it affected the outputs of my missions? No, it has not. In fact, Kaidan has helped me through many moral decisions during our service together. And, I just saved your happy ass from being annihilated by the Reapers."

"Therefore, what you are saying is that you triumph over the law, Commander.

"I never said-"

"Enough!" shouts the turian councilor. "We will handle the fraternization charges accordingly. In the meantime, we have an Alliance vessel out there that needs our assistance. We will gather whatever resources we can gather to help you find them."

"Thank you, Councilors," I breathe out, realizing I had been holding my breath the entire time.

"No, thank you Commander. For not giving up and for defending everyone in our times of need. Every race is in your debt," the asari councilor says. She waves a hand to dismiss us. Mom and I walk outside and I look at her.

"I know, Derek, I know. I will help you find Kaidan and the rest of the Normandy in anyway I can."

"Thank you," I choke out as she envelops me in a huge hug.

"I'll let your father know that we left and are on a mission. Now, let's get to the Guardian."

"The Guardian?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"That's my ship. The one you are know in charge of. I'll be your yeoman and guide throughout this. It'll be fun!" she chips in, showing her bubbly side. I laugh. I hadn't spent any real time with my mom for over five years.

We arrive in the docking bay where I see another ship pull into the bay. I look to Mom, who wears the same expression. We watch as the doors open and an older man and woman walk through, demanding C-Sec. I approach them.

"Excuse me, I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Is there something I can do to help you?"

"Yes, we need your help finding our son," says the woman. She was short with raven black hair and intelligent brown eyes. She looks familiar although we have never met before. The man too. Although, he was bald with bright green eyes. What was it about them?

"We can have people start to look for him as son as we can. I might be able to find him since I'm off to look for my missing crew. What is your son's name?"

The woman looks to her husband and back at me. "His name is Kaidan. Kaidan Alenko. We're his parents."


	3. Smoke

I stand at the galaxy map, eyes closed, remembering what had just happened.

The past half hour went as such:

I had them sit on a nearby bench. "I'm sorry to hear about that. Kaidan is a good friend of mine and we serve in the same unit. He helped me take down Saren and the Reapers." I also love him and we're kinda together now, I wanted to say.

"If you serve in the same unit, why don't you know where he is?" Kaidan's mom asked me harshly. Her eyes narrowed and I sighed.

"We had gotten separated on the final push to the beam up to the Crucible. He had gotten injured and I made him board the Normandy to get out of the battle field before I ran to the beam." The look on his face. "I'll come find you. I love you, Kaidan." Tears spring into my eyes and I cough to cover up the fact of the need to rub them away.

"My boy. Do what you must in order to find him, Captain," Kaidan's dad chimes in.

I stumble over my next words. "I-I'm not a Captain, yet. Just a C-Commander, sir," I say, embarrassed.

"You should be an Admiral, son. The shit you've done for every species in this galaxy...you must make your parent's proud."

"He does," my mom comments, reappearing beside me. "Derek, the ship is waiting. I'll see you on board when you're ready." She pats my shoulder before leaving the docking area.

Kaidan's mom grips my hand. "Listen to me, Commander. You must find him. And when you do, tell him to come find me and the special someone he keeps mentioning."

I blush and cough again to cover a laugh. "A special someone? He never mentioned this to me. I'll have to have a little talk with my Lieutenant then. And Mrs. Alenko, Mr. Alenko-"

"Please, call me Kim and my husband Michael."

"Kim, Michael, I assure you. Your son will come home. I swear on my life I will return him to you."

"Good. We'll be in the apartments on the Commons." They rise and I shake their hands before watching them go to the elevator. Watching them leave has sent a ping of dread through my already sick heart. What if I can't find him? What if he's...no, he's not. I shake my head and board the waiting ship, determined to find Kim and Michael's son and the love of my life.

I come out of my memory and take a few breaths to steady myself. Mom stands at the yeoman station beside the galaxy map, checking signals and constantly looking over at me. Dad had sent us an apology and an encouragement to find his son's love. My parents. God, I love them.

I look up to the map and to my mom. "Mom, do we have anything about the Normandy?"

"Well, according to Alliance logs, after it left the battle field, it requested an immediate trip to the colony Horizon." She sees my puzzled expression and elaborates. "After you and your crew cleared Horizon and Sanctuary, Miranda decided to make it an actual refugee base with a well supplied hospital, much like Huerta. The request was granted and they went through the Sol relay moments later. Following their nuclear trail and time stamps, you activated the Crucible moments later."

I feel the blood rush from my face. What have I done? "What does that mean?" I ask.

"It means that the shockwave that you sent out caught them in a black hole, most likely. They could be anywhere by now."

"How long was I out then?"

"You didn't come down with Anderson for a few days. That's how long it took for the shockwave to travel everywhere. So, they've been wherever they ended up for a short while. And there are no systems nearby claiming crashed ships. This means-"

"They ended up in a distant system. One not controlled by Alliance." I turn to face the map. "It's either geth space or the Terminus system."

"Precisely. Black holes are tricky stellar anomalies, so there's no way of knowing which planet they truly landed on."

"The Catalyst had mentioned that the blast would wipe out all synthetic life and the mass relays. Did this happen?"

"Yes, and no. The geth and VI's temporarily were disabled, but they managed to power back on. The mass relays actually seem untouched."

'Let's set a course for the Terminus system. I have a feeling that we'll meet them there."

"And we will. You go up to my cabin and take a rest. You need to be focused as we scour planets."

"But, Mom-"

"You may be a Commander, but I am still your mother. Bed, now."

I mock salute and grin. "As you wish, ma'am."

************************************************

_I shoot my pistol at the geth in my way as I try to get to Ashley Williams, my other squad mate along with Kaidan Alenko. I don't know either of them. We were just thrown together as a team, Kaidan, Jenkins, and I when Jenkins got killed and we found Ashley. She joined us and we reached the planet we were on now: Vermire._

_We had brought a nuclear bomb onto the planet in order to slow Saren's progress. Saren. That two-timing treasonous turian. Rogue Spectre. Indoctrinated, most likely. The Council had appointed me Spectre in order to stop him without consequence for my actions. And I planned to use that to all my ability._

_Liara, a trust-worthy asari scientist who recently joined us, fires more biotics at the few remaining enemies before announcing the all clear. We, along with Garrus, a turian sniper, ride the elevator to only meet more enemies. Seriously, where do they all come from?!_

_I get a call as the remaining enemies are taken care of in my own special manner. It's Ashley, saying that she's being overrun. Kaidan calls on the same line saying something about saving Ashley and leaving him. I have to make a choice. Ashley or Kaidan?_

_"Kaidan, stay where you are, I'm coming back," I say into my earpiece. My little squad and I rush back down to the courtyard to find Saren waiting for us. After some brief gunfire, he leaves and I sling Kaidan over my shoulders. He's exhausted and has his head down. I realize then that my stomach is doing cartwheels and my heart flutters. We board the Normandy and fly off as the bomb goes off, killing everyone on the planet. Killing Ashley._

_Suddenly, it's me on the ground beside Ashley. Kaidan lies dead at my feet, blood pouring out a bullet hole in the back of his head. I look up to see the smoking gun. She smiles and points it at me. "You killed me." She shoots me in the stomach and the pain is blinding. I go down onto my knees as a bright light flares. Ashley smiles as the wave approaches. "Suffer now, Shepard. Suffer and die. For we all die in the end." I crumple beside Kaidan's body as the heat overwhelms me and I see Ashley burst into a skeleton and blow away like dust._

***************************************************

I bolt upright in my bed in a cold sweat. I run my hand over my abdomen, feeling reassured at the nonexistent bullet wound. "Damn," I sigh as my head starts to pound. Why now? After all these years does that memory finally come around to torment me in my dreaming hours?

Luckily, Mom had a coffee machine so I start it up. As my cup is brewing, I hear Mom come onto the sound system. "You sleep good, Derek?"

I could lie or tell the truth. What do I do? "I've had better. Something up?"

"I found something as I was scanning signals. I'm not positive-" her words are cut off as I rush out of the cabin and into the elevator, where I hear the sound of a coffee mug crash and break. I emerge onto the command deck and rush straight to my mom.

"What did you find Mom? Please, tell me."

"Listen for yourself." She hits a button and the audio starts playing.

"Mayday, mayday. We're a crashed Alliance vessel stranded on an uncharted world and we request assistance if anyone is able to help. We require medical aid as well. Please help us," says the automated distress call..

"Wait, pause when it says 'we request assistance.' Play that back, but drop the main audio and bring up secondary and tertiary audio levels."

Mom nods and pushes some buttons before replaying.

I can still hear the automated voice but can hear some dialogue. "Can you clear that up?"

"I'll do my best," Mom comments.

I listen again and pick up a few lines.

"Well, Joker, I guess you can say you've successfully traveled through a black hole."

"Shut it, Garrus. I don't need any sarcasm. Come on, EDI. Come back to me."

"Guys, we should worry about how to get off this rock and back to London," says a new voice that makes the tears I've been holding back flow over.

"Fine. But I can't so anything until EDI comes back online!"

"Well then, we have some things to do. But I'm going to run perimeter again."

"Make it quick. We can't last another day, Kaidan."


	4. Lost and Found

I turn to my mom. "Where was that signal coming from?" I demand.

My mother scrambles over the keys and hits the keyboard in frustration. "I lost the damn signal! I only have a general area. Here." She highlights a part of galaxy map and I breathe in through clenched teeth.

"Okay. Let's use deductive reasoning. Bring up all known planets in the specified area." They soon replace the map. There are thirty-seven. "Get rid of all those that have no oxygen present." A chunk disappears. Only twenty now. "Delete those with known colonies." Only one leaves. Nineteen. "Get rid of those with any tie back with the Alliance." Several leave and then there were only eight. Still too many. "Hmmm. Play the audio again but highlight background noise this time, such as birds." We listen as a single bird call fills the track. "There, what is that?"

Mom pulls up analysis logs and we find the bird in a little over five minutes. "It's a _Ragorvinus avis_ , or a Ragor."

"Get rid of any planets without this species." Only two remain. "Okay. We have two planets to search. Everyone, be prepared for anything." I walk to the elevator and press the shuttle bay icon. _Hold on, Kaidan. Hold on for me._

_*************************************************_

I lean up against a rock, breathing heavy as I reload my sniper. "Mom!" I shout. 

"Here," she calls, rushing over to inspect the bullet hole in my forearm. "Slap some medi-gel on it." She tosses it to me as she fires at more mercs. They were everywhere! 

I grimace as the familiar sting sets into my wound and I'm up, firing a Throw at the merc who shot me. He flies off the cliff and soon, we are standing alone. I breathe and follow the path, shooting a few more mercs. I signal Mom and some other squad member forward. The Nav Point lights up on my visor. Luckily, after the explosion, my armor was still intact. The doctors had said something about me being half synthetic. Thanks, Cerberus, for the only useful thing you did. 

"I see the crash site," says Wilkes, the other guy. My heart races. Could this be the Normandy? 

"Kaidan," I breathe as I race forward, ignoring the calls behind me to stop. I switch to my shotgun, mod it for cryo rounds, and fire at an unsuspecting guard. He freezes and I melee him, watching as he shatters into ice. Shots fly around me as I duck behind a piece of metal. The tingle in the base of my skull starts up as my biotics charge. 

The mercs move towards me and I release a Shockwave, sending them flying as the line of biotics races forward. God, I love biotics. The L5 implant was the top model, which I have, and they're basically like psychic powers but so much cooler. Mom runs up an throws a frag into the mix. There are no other mercs in the area. "Dammit, it's not the Normandy!" I cry out. 

I sink down to the ground and release a sob. "Dammit," I whisper. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" I immaturely use my Reave on a small creature. I watch as my biotics drain it of it's life. Mom sits next to me and just holds me. 

"Derek. You can't give up just yet." 

"But Mom, what am I to do? That planet we first searched wasn't even suitable for life and the other planet had misinformation. Then, we thought we had found the Normandy. Eight planets ago!" I bury my head in my hands and let the tears flow. "I've been so close so many times, and it slips through my grip. I'm just tired." 

"Well, we still have more to go. You can't give up on Kaidan." 

"I'm not giving up on him!" I yell, suddenly angry. I stand up and stalk away. No, I will find him. I climb into the shuttle and Mom and Wilkes follow me. We arrive at the ship moments later and I rush straight to the map, crossing out this planet. I rub my temples. "We can try this one. Abula." 

"No, it's not suited for human life. They'd have been dead on impact." 

>I wince and reevaluate the map. "How about this one?" I ask, pointing to a small planet, barely registered. Mom's face scrunches up. "Which one?" 

I sigh. "Here. It's...unmarked. It must be a new planet, maybe a hundred years old. Would've gone unnoticed be an Alliance sweep. Let's try there." We set a course for the new world while I retire to the captain's cabin. I pull up my private terminal and scroll through the messages. One is blinking. It's from Miranda. I open it and quickly skim it. 

"Shepard. 

Can't believe it. Damn, you're alive. Guess we did good back at Cerberus, eh? Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're okay. I heard about Kaidan. Shepard, I'm so sorry. I hope you find him. When you do, both of you meet me on the Citadel. I have an announcement to make to you two. Until then, kick some ass out there. 

Miranda" 

I inhale. So, she made it. What did Jack call her, the Cerberus cheerleader? I chuckle and open up some headache pills. Swallowing them with a shot of water, I lay down, letting my mind drift into the darkness of sleep. 

_*********************************_

_I'm running. Running through a forest, where the shadows of the deceased call my name. "Shepard," they whisper. Some reach out to me, but I run past them. What am I running from? Where's the little boy?_

_The little boy. Watching him get blown to ashes as the Reaper beam consumed him. Watching as the Reaper moved onto a new target. He wasn't but six or seven._

_"Shepard," a voice cries out. I look up and see a figure in the distance. I turn to the figure, but it's like I'm in slow motion, my movements exaggerated as I race at snail's pace. The figure doesn't move. "Shepard!" it cries out again._

_Hold on, I try to yell but my voice doesn't work. I will my body to move faster, but to no use. The figure becomes clearer and I slow down to a halt. The figure is..._

_"Ashley," I say, finding my voice. She nods and walks over to a bench, sitting down. I sit with her and she turns to me._

_"Why?" she asks._

_I gulp. "Because...I was selfish. I wanted to be with Kaidan. I knew you were both great soldiers, and I knew that you were both assets, but-"_

_"No. Why are you still living with this guilt?"_

_"What do you-"_

_"You shouldn't be sorry. Kaidan was your best choice. Hell, a powerful L2 biotic like him over a regular soldier like me? I can see why you chose him." She places a cold hand over mine. "And not me. Now, go." She stand and so do I. "Run," she whispers._

_I take off as I hear a noise. A noise ingrained and locked in my mind. The sound of a Reaper. I dash away at top speed, but turn to see Ashley running after me. But, it's not Ashley. It's her, but in husk form. Banshee form._

_She wails as she tackles me, lifts me, and screams in my face. I'm helpless as she rams her sharp, elongated fingers through my body._

_____________***********************************************_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________I wake up in a cold sweat with a jolt. The pillow is soaked and I groan. Mom walks in moments later. "Shepard, we've arrived."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________I hurry to get my clothes and armor on as we get into the shuttle. The pilot tells us that the winds are bad, so we'll be set down a few klicks from the supposed crash site. I thank her and she smiles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________We land and I jump out, sniper in hand as I survey the area. It's mainly huge trees infused with rich colors. Like a rainforest back on Earth. I nod to Mom and we race towards the Nav Point indicated on my visor. Nothing tries to fight us as we race forward. After a half hour of running, I see shiny metal and my heart races. I peer through my scope and I gasp escapes me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"What is it?" Mom asks, anxious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"It's the Normandy SR-2! They're here!" I jump ahead and run through the forest at top speed, the memory of today's dream still haunting me. Ashley as a Banshee? Why do my dreams now end in my death now?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________We reach the docking door and I pound on it. "Joker!" I scream. "Joker, it's Shepard."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________The doors hiss open and there he is, in the flesh. Limping towards us, his eyes shine as he recognizes me. "Shepard?" He grabs me in a massive hug. I chuckle. "Careful. Your Brittle Bone Disease will kick your ass if you continue to squeeze that hard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He laughs. "Oh my god, Shepard. I thought that...wow. And this must be your mother."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Mom shakes his hand. "Pleasure, Joker. Mind if I look around?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"Absolutely not! Come on in. I'll signal Liara to come up." Moments later, a familiar blue asari is running at me with full speed as she hugs me. "By the goddess, Shepard. You're alive. This day is truly glorious."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________I chuckle. "Hey, old friend." The rest of the crew comes up and all nearly tackle me. I notice Joker working on EDI's body. "She not back online?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"No. I think the crash must've fried her systems," James says. "Joker's been going nuts." I chuckle as the sun starts to set on our little outside camp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"Well, we'll get here up and running. She is, after all, part of the crew."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"There are so many things you have to tell us, Shepard," Tali states. "Like what new Blasto film is out and what has happened on..." she trails off and looks over my shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________The sun is gone now, so I can barely make out who is at the edge of the clearing. The figure walks into the moonlight and a sob of joy rips through me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"Hey, Shepard. I-"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He's cut off as I tackle him to the dirt and stare into his eyes. I lean down and plant my lips on his to silence him. I kiss him with raw passion and emotion. My tongue presses against his bottom lip, demanding entry. He relents and our kiss turns more loving and less desperate. We keep this up for what feels like hours until I take a breather and stare at him as the moonlight shows his face again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________"I love you, Kaidan Alenko."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Der-Bear

++Kaidan++

I hold him in my arms, still not comprehending everything. I had my love back. He was here, beside me, sleeping on my shoulder, his face nuzzled into my neck. He hadn’t got much sleep lately, I assume. God, I wish I was more like him. Derek has always been the one I look up to because of his ability to be compassionate, even when people get on his nerves. He was diplomatic and had the ability to control his emotions.

Until he came home, if the cabin can be called home, and ranted to me for hours about how stupid people were, especially those damn jellyfish. The hanar were…well, let’s just say, if Derek could find a way to grind every one of them into a meat grinder, he would be having way too much fun.

I see his mom talking to Liara with great interest and I grin. I had personally never met Derek’s Mom and she noticed me looking at her.

“Can we continue this conversation later?” she asks Liara apologetically.

“It is not a problem. I have some things to do right now anyway. Being the Shadow Broker is hard work. Especially when your servers are down. I hope Shepard is okay.” She enters the elevator and rides down to her office.

Derek’s Mom walks over. “Hello, you must be Mr. Alenko.”

“Yes, ma’am, I am.”

“Oh, please, don’t do that ma’am shit. I ain’t old yet. My name is Atlanta. But, call me Lana.”

“That’s a pretty name, once held by the great Greek warrior.”

“Indeed. You read much, Mr. Alenko?”

“I do. And please, call me Kaidan, Lana.”

“Alright Kaidan.” She sighs. “My, you two are cute together. The way that he just…it makes Momma Bear proud to see her Baby Bear look so at peace.”

“Mom, I can hear you and for the last time, no Baby Bear shit,” Derek mumbles into my neck, sending shivers through my spine as his throat vibrates as he talks. He readjusts himself to look at her and grin. “Hey.”

“Hey what?”

Derek grunts but smiles anyway. “Hey, Momma Bear.”

“Hey, Baby Bear. How are you?”

“Much better. This is the best thing ever, although the wall is very uncomfortable. I advise we move to the cabin. It’s comfortable there.” We stand and I feel Derek slip his hand into mine and squeeze tight. The feeling of his calloused and hard fingers in mine is euphoric to me. Just a simple touch sends sparks through my being.

It had taken me two years to admit my feelings for Derek to his face. It was hard for me after Derek died. That was when I realized that I was madly in love with him. Horizon was a bad time for us. Instead of a handshake, I had embraced him, nearly wanting to cry. But that Miranda woman was there. I don’t trust her. Not even now.

As Derek worked with Cerberus to destroy the Collectors, I had stayed with the Alliance in the fight to save human colonies. When the call came in that the base was destroyed, severing the connection with all Collectors, killing them instantly, we were overjoyed. I knew who had done it. The only one who could’ve.

My Shepard.

He had been court-martialed upon arrival to the Citadel and thrown into jail. I had fought tooth and nail for him to be released. The Council, saved by Shepard during the fight against Saren and Sovereign, had relented and released him, making sure to have an eye on him at all times. For a time, it was me but, since my history with him was so close, they replaced me with James Vega. He was hot, no doubt, but I wanted to be near Derek at all times.

“Babe, you okay?” Derek asks me as we exit the elevator. “You seem a bit-“

I interrupt him with a desperate kiss. Hot and full of passion, I felt my emotions run through me into him as I playfully bit his lower lip, causing him to moan in pleasure. “I missed you so damn much.” I press him against the wall and he leans into me, causing both of our dicks to become alert to the action.

“Kaidan…” Derek mumbles.

“No, I need you now. I need you so much,” I plead, becoming more and more rushed.

“My mother.” I stop immediately and groan.

“Right.”

“Later though, babe. You’ll have me all night tonight.”

“I better have you for forever,” I playfully growl, giving him a quick kiss before heading into the cabin.

“I could hear you guys from out there!” Lana exclaims playfully. She swirls aspoon in her coffee. It’s almost white with sugar and creamer. Wow, she and Derek were so much alike.

“Sorry, Mom. He attacked me,” Derek sheepishly stutters, a blush heating up his face.

I giggle. “Well, I thought you had died for a second time so I had to see if you were mine. And later, I’ll confirm it.”

Derek flushes as his mom laughs. “Oh my god, are you guys like this on missions?”

“Derek here is the irresponsible one, constantly staring at my ass.”

“I can’t help it! Your ass is huge! Look at it! God, you can build a shelf on it!”

“Hey, don’t knock my ass!”

“Oh, I’m gonna ravage it later,” he says seductively as he kisses my cheek.

Lana rolls her eyes. “God, the Reapers must’ve bowed down at y’all’s sappiness. I can just feel the hormones leaking from your pores. It’s sickening and also intoxicating. Has he been taking his Viagra recently, Kaidan?”

I choke on my beer and do a spit take onto the nice table as Derek’s mouth drops down. “ _MOTHER!!!_ ”

Lana and I are laughing hysterically now. “That was priceless!!! Oh, and you think your old Mom can’t act young and dirty. Oh, there’s so much you don’t know, Baby Bear.”

Derek hides his head in his hands. “Mom, I accidentally took Viagra once when I was fifteen! My pill was an exact replica of it; I couldn’t tell!” he exasperates.

“What pill? Do you have a disease?” I ask him.

“No, I have severe allergies and my medicine looked like the Viagra tablet. So, my manhood was at attention for six hours. _AND THEY NEVER TOOK ME TO THE DOCTOR!_ ”

“It was impressive, I’ll give him that,” Lana states.

“I can attest to that,” I say, chugging my beer. Derek hits me lightly on the arm, whining a “Stop it.”

“Commander?” Joker says through the comm system.

Derek looks up. “Yeah, Joker?”

“We’re almost ready to leave for the Citadel. If you need to get back to your ship-“

“No, if Cortez can take me by shuttle car, he’ll be back in about ten minutes,” Lana interrupts. “Derek should stay here. Comm us if you need anything, okay?” Joker replies with a yes and she stands. “Well, it was nice meeting you Kaidan. I hope we get to meet your parents soon. I gotta go, Baby Bear. Love you.” She kisses his head and gives me a hug. “Bye, kiddos!”

As soon as she leaves I chuckle. “She is something else.”

“You weren’t there when puberty hit.”

“Was that a bad thing?”

“Oh yeah.”

We stand in silence before I crack a smile. “You accidentally took Viagra? Who the hell does that?”

“Well, that would be me, I guess. I was so embarrassed and-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” he screeches.

I had my omni-tool out, recording everything and quickly saved the file to my private logs. “Just a little something.”

“You mean blackmail?”

“Maybe. Or I could give it to Joker.”

“You wouldn’t dare! Give it to me!”

“Make me,” I purr.

“As your commanding officer, I demand the file.”

“Objection noted. Request denied. Try again later,” I state, mocking a good friend of ours. Oh, Legion.

“Are you going up against your officer?” Derek asks, getting really close to me. Being the same height, I stare into his blue eyes.

“And what if I am?”

He tackles me to the ground and I laugh, scrambling away. “Give me the goddamn file!” he calls out, trying hard not to laugh.

“Aw, now where’s the fun in that?” I ask, letting him crawl on top of me. Our chests touch as do our dicks, standing at attention again. “Come and get it,” I whisper into his ear as I bite his earlobe, causing him to moan and lose his balance, falling on me.

I wrap my legs around him and hold him against me as I kiss along his neck and collarbone, sometimes biting him playfully. “You sure you want that file?”

“No, just keep…damn, Kaidan…” he moans silently. I take his head in my hands and smash my lips into his, creating a rhythm as they move. Our tongues collide and have a mini war themselves before I bite his lips again, just how he likes. “I can’t…these clothes…take them off of me. _Now._ ”

I pick him up into my arms and push him onto the bed, taking off his shirt and pants along the way. He strips away his black boxers and I smirk. “Well, someone has been taking too much Viagra.” I slowly unbutton my shirt. “Let me relieve you,” I purr as I watch Derek shake.

“Oh god, Kaidan, just get over here.”

“Hmm…let’s see if he can come to me, yes?” I ask to no one as I strip the pants and boxers in one swift movement, kicking them in his face. He takes the boxers away, and crawls to me on the bed. “Good boy,” I say.

“Just get your sweet ass here,” he barks teasingly as he pulls me down on top of him and we start kissing again.

“Hey, Derek?” I ask as we grind against each other.

‘Yeah, Kaidan?” he asks, gasping for breath as I pull away.

“Since your mom calls you Baby Bear, I think I should have a nickname for you.”

He raises an eyebrow and he looks so damn sexy doing that. “Oh? And what did you, uh, have in mind?” he asks, getting closer to my lips with each word.

“How, about…Der-Bear?”

“Der-Bear?”

“Well, there was the Bear theme and your name’s Derek, so I thought that…if you don’t like it-“

He interrupts me as his lips meet mine. “No, I love it, actually. You’re too sweet. Now…” he runs hands all down my body and I grab the headboard to keep from falling. God, his hands are magic. “…love me.”

“I will Der-Bear. I always will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, so much fluff!!!! Anyone get the TW reference? Sorry, kinda a cross-over moment, my bad...


	6. Home...or What's Left of It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so sorry for the late update!!!! Got caught up on my other fic for teen wolf
> 
> so, here you go!

^^Derek^^

I watch as Kaidan still sleeps in the bed next to me. He's spooning me this morning, as always, and the slight rise and fall of his bare chest is lulling me back to sleep. But I stay awake as to not miss every detail of my beautiful man.

He has bed hair this morning. God, how can he keep it that long?! Not that I mind, with my hands rooted in it and pulling it as we have the best sex ever possible. Which was last night.

Kaidan is insatiable in bed when it comes to me going away for awhile. As soon as I come home from a mission that he wasn't on, which isn't often, it's off with the clothes and time to get on the Kaidan. How can he be so horny ALL THE TIME?! Well, I'm that way too, but at least I'm not so desperate. Not that Kaidan is desperate it's just...what am I doing? Kaidan is Kaidan and he will always be mine.

Kaidan rolls over and now faces me. He slowly opens up his eyes and blinks. "Morning, Der-Bear," he mumbles. I kiss his forehead and just hold him close. He grabs a hold of me and doesn't let go from me. I enjoy the scent of him. Musk with a hint of rain. It's weird. Also, that tingly smell of lightning. Yeah, this is him. And he will always be mine.

"Morning?" he asks, slightly nervous.

"Oh, morning. Sorry, you smell good."

"I haven't showered in three days," he comments.

"Well, you smell fine to me," I reply before bringing his lips to mine. I kiss him tenderly and lovingly. Just the way I did before the Earth mission. He moans and whines when I pull away. "If you haven't had a shower in three days, then we better take care of that. Now get up."

"Hey, Commander?" I hear over the intercom.

"Yeah, Joker?" I reply, slightly angry. What was it that couldn't wait until after I spent my morning with my man?

"We're about to go through the relay in approximately thirty minutes. Thought you should know. Joker out." The comm goes dead and I sigh. Joker had the best timing.

"Let's get cleaned up," Kaidan whispers in my ear as he climbs out of bed, revealing a naked, very masculine body. I don't know what to stare at! His abs, his muscles, his ass, or his piece! All are perfection as he slowly struts to the shower area in the bathroom. I slowly rise as well, but I grab a towel and wrap it around myself. Kaidan's already turned on the water and I watch as it cascades down his back and then down his chest. God, he's damn sexy and he knows it.

I lean up against the doorpost. "Aw, wasn't gonna wait for me, were you?"

"I thought you were right behind me," he replies, not opening his eyes.

"Aw, too bad. Because, I had a little something, but...maybe another time."

"What is it?" Kaidan asks, wiping his face in order to see me.

I place a hand on one side of the wrapped towel. "Well, I was going to have this whole strip tease planned with it ending as I step into the shower first, but...I guess this is better," I breathe. I slowly undo the towel, but bunch it in front of my crotch, letting it fall a little lower with every step. Kaidan was getting excited; I could see it from the corner of my eye. I then dropped the towel, but held my hands in front of my groin in order to keep up the ante. Kaidan looks down and then up at me. I enter the shower and let the water fall over me as the door hisses closed. I run a hand through my hair and over my body, keeping the other well covered. Kaidan steps forward and places his chest on mine and I give him a sensual look. "My, my. Aren't we a little-"

Kaidan interrupts me as he kisses me hard and smacks my hand away as he grabs a hold of my dick. Just his touch is enough to send pleasant chills through my body. "Tell me you love me, Derek," he whispers.

"I love you, Kaidan. I always will."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

After half an hour and some hot steamy shower sex, Kaidan and I make our way down into the CIC. There, Joker waits for us as we hit the relay after my mom's ship does. EDI looks over at us. "Good morning, Shepard."

"EDI," I reply, "how are you feeling?"

"I am running at 97.4536234% capacity. The Normandy has significant repairs that must be made and-"

"EDI, I'm asking how you specifically are."

"This body is a bit...weaker from what happened. I can still fight and will do so when the time comes. Some of my memory is slow to return but, I'm glad to say that I haven't forgotten anything about my time with Jeff." She looks at him and smiles. He doesn't seem to hear, muttering about engine cores and calibrations. EDI sighs. "Even if he doesn't remember it half the time. Derek, I can truly say that I have...feelings for him. I know that I would never be possible, but...if I had a heart, he would possess it. How can I show that he means something to me?"

"Oh, well, EDI, that's a hard question," Kaidan mumbles, scratching the back of his neck and looking down.

I smile and squeeze my boyfriend's hand. "What you should do is get him something. It doesn't have to be anything big or flashy, but something that he can keep forever on his person. Like a necklace, or a bracelet, or a ring."

"A ring?"

"Yeah. A ring doesn't necessarily mean a marriage proposal. Get him a ring with a 'promise stone' in it and tell him about how you feel. Promise to him. That should be enough. More than enough, actually."

"What if...what if he rejects me?"

"EDI, you and I both know that that scenario is about a 0% chance of likely hood."

She chuckles. "You're right. I will find a jewelry store as soon as we touch down."

"If we're touching down in England, there's one on 400 Oxford Street."

"I see. I will investigate this 'Tiffany and Company'. Thank you Shepard. You are a great friend." She turns back to the helm and I turn back to Kaidan. 

"We should go see Liara," he says. I can sense that there's something on his mind.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah! I'm fine just...not ready to see Earth yet."

"It's not as bad as you think. The shockwave from the Crucible resulted in minimal structural damage. Earth should be fine."

"Oh, okay." He's a terrible liar. We walk to the elevator and ride down to the 3rd level and walk to Liara's room.

"Good day, Commander," the little holograph says.

"Hey, Glyph," I reply as I walk over to Liara.

"Oh, Shepard, Kaidan! You two scared me to death! By the goddess, don't do that again."

"Sorry, Liara," I apologize as I hug her.

"We thought you were dead...again."

I chuckle but I sense that Kaidan is glaring her down. "Well, I didn't. Anderson is okay too."

"What?" I hear Kaidan ask.

"I'll let him explain. But right now, just know that he and I are okay."

She nods. "I heard from my sister."

"I never knew you have a sister, Liara."

"It's not something I like to talk about."

"Who is she?"

Liara turns away and breathes. "Aria. Aria T'Loak is my sister."

"No fucking way," I say.

"Bullshit," Kaidan sputters. "That's not possible."

"It is, if she was adopted. My mother took her in and raised her along side me. Aria, however, ran away when she was 63 to be with her gang. When I found out about Omega, I knew that she was in control of her gang. Aria was never one to be left behind in the crowd; she wanted to be the center of attention. There's tension between us, but with this war, I think we can start fresh. When we reach Earth, I'll need to find her. Could you help me?"

"I don't know Liara. She's really good at hiding and laying low for stretches of times," Kaidan responds.

"Plus she hates Kaidan," I throw in.

"That too."

"She'll listen to me. We just need to find her. That'll mainly be my part. I have use my sources to track her down. You'll help me get there. Now, I have to attend to my network. Thanks for stopping by." She turns back to her mass array of consoles and Kaidan and I leave.

"I don't trust her," Kaidan spits out. "She's up to something."

"No doubt. But, let's keep an eye on her. EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?" she asks in my omni-tool.

"Run more background on Liara and Aria. And make sure you have video surveillance in her room 24/7."

"As you wish, Shepard."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kaidan asks.

"We need to be sure. Let's go talk to Garrus." We walk to the main gun and watch as he mutters into the console. I clear my throat and he turns around.

"Shepard!" he grabs me in a huge hug and squeezes. "Oh, buddy, I missed you. And those drinks we had."

"And the calibrations?"

Garrus chuckles as does Kaidan. "No, this old girl has been calibrated enough."

" _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?_ The famous Garrus is giving up on his calibrations? Oh, the horror!" I exasperate melodramatically and Garrus punches my arm. Kaidan is holding the railing to keep himself up. "Come on, let's get Tali and we can have a drink before we land." Garrus rushes to the elevator to go to Engineering as Kaidan and I go to the Observation Deck. I get out some glasses and place some Whiskey out with alcohol of choice. I grab the whiskey and pour some in Kaidan's glass before filling mine. Tali walks in and hugs me.

"It is good to see you Shepard. Oh, Turian Brandy! Do you have a straw?"

"You mean an 'emergency induction port?'"

"Oh, whatever. Let's drink!"

We spend the next hour just drinking and talking. I hear the stories of the first night they had crash landed. Garrus and Kaidan had come across a wild animal the size of a school with a super long neck, eating the leaves off of the trees. Then, it was eaten by a smaller, but more ferocious animal with huge teeth. Its arms had no use because they were scrunched up against it and it had turned to Kaidan and Garrus. Kaidan had managed to scare it away with a boulder to the face.

"Wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me you found actual dinosaurs. _Dinosaurs._ "

"Yeah! But they stayed away from the ship, thank God," Kaidan says as he sips more whiskey. I roll my eyes, not buying it.

"No, it was true! I saw one called a Velociraptor, according to human geological studies, and killed it. It's in storage for further examination," Tali exasperates. She's cuddled up against Garrus and I smile.

"So, how long has this been going on?" I ask.

"Us? About a month or two," Garrus replies.

"I had heard about Palaven and rushed to help Garrus with anything he needed. By the time I had got there, he had already left with you. I managed to get him messages. After I came onto your ship, well, it just happened," Tali adds.

"Well, I'm happy for you," Kaidan says cheerfully. "A toast. To old friendships and new relationships."

"I'll drink to that!" Garrus shouts as we clink our glasses.

"Commander, we're nearing the Sol system. Leaving the mass relay's energy field in about sixty seconds."

"Thanks Joker. Let's go home."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaidan leans up against the glass, trying to get a look at Earth as we get nearer. "So many dead, Derek. How are we even going to do anything?"

I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my chin on his shoulder. He leans into me. "By doing what we do best: fighting for what we believe."

"You're going to be court-marshaled for fraternization. I can't see you go to jail."

"Babe, please. I'm Commander Shepard, savior of the Citadel, conqueror of the Collectors, defender of the galaxy. They won't do that."

Kaidan turns around to face me. I still have my hands around his waist and he wraps his around my shoulders while propping up a leg. "But, Derek. They don't care. They'll try to take you away form me."

"They won't. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. The Council said that it doesn't matter anyway."

"I'm still scared."

I lean in and kiss him hard. I tighten my grip on him and he does the same. We stay like this for what feels like forever. I release and lay my forehead on his. "Scared now?"

"Not as much."

"Good. Let's go, we're entering the atmosphere." We walk to the elevator and take it up to the 2nd floor. I hear Joker requesting docking permission and soon, we're walking outside onto the London streets. There are people milling around, searching for people, food, or belongings. I tighten my grip on Kaidan's hand and walk towards the Allaince's new HQ, near Buckingham Palace. Anderson greets us at the gates and shakes Kaidan's hand hard.

"Major, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Admiral."

"It's Anderson to you. There are some people here to see you." We look and see Kaidan's parents running over to him. I nod to Kaidan and he lets go of my hand to rush to his mom and hug her. He gives his dad a hug like that and I smile. My mom walks over and rests her head on my arm. "Look at them. They're so happy. So...peaceful. Wish we were."

"We are. In our own way," I say, grinning as I watch Kaidan roll his eyes at his mom kissing him all over.

"Dad will be here in about three hours. I have reservations for the six of us to go to that nice restaurant, Bel Canto I believe? It's French and Italian, but it's open and yay!"

"Wait, the six of us?"

"I have invited Kaidan and his family to dinner! So, you know, we can get to know each other."

"Mom, they don't know."

"Oh, well, then what a fabulous place to crack the news! See you at eight!" She scampers off and I sigh. My mother can be a bit...ditzy at times, but she means well. Don't piss her off though.

I hear Kaidan rushing over and then he's pulling me to his parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Commander Shepard."

"We've met him before. Thank you for bringing him back, Commander."

"Please, call me Derek."

"Mom, Dad, there's also something I want to tell you."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Remember how I said that I had met someone? And I went on explaining that someone?"

"Oh, right! Where is she?" They look around, trying to spot someone.

"Well, you're looking at him."

"What do you mean?" his father asks.

"Well, first off, she is a he."

"YOU'RE GAY?!" his dad shouts.

"Bisexual, actually."

"That's beside the point! Where's your little gay fuck buddy? You're aren't allowed to date other men," his dad growls.

"First off, we are not fuck buddies. Second, don't yell at me. Third, my decision on whom I date is not in your hands. Lastly, he is standing right in front of you."

His parents look to me and I sheepishly raise my hand. " _You?_ " his dad asks.

"Hey," I say nervously, hoping that everything will be okay.

I don't see the fist flying to my face until it's too late to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! again, sorry about the slow update
> 
> thanks to redsun, pepsi76, markbjelly63, and guests for your kudos!


	7. "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!
> 
> The following chapter is fluff, fluff, fluff, and more fluff.
> 
> You might experience heart feels as well as uncontrollable squealing and possible crying.
> 
> Read at your own risk!
> 
> <333

```Kaidan```

I rush to Shepard’s side as he falls to the ground. “Derek!” I cry out as I catch him before he hits the asphalt. He groans in my arms as he holds his jaw.

“Get away from him!” Dad yells at me. He goes to grab me but I flare my biotics at him.

“How dare you hit him,” I growl, glaring at him.

“This…thing has corrupted your mind!”

“He has corrupted nothing! I love him and he loves me! I watched him get spaced and die! I was without him at my side for two years! He never pressed anything on me; my feelings grew for him since the moment we met! I knew you’d have this reaction! Leave us alone, Michael!”

“Do not address me by my first-“

“I will address you as I see fit! If you don’t accept the man that I love, then I will no longer me your son!” I shout in his face. Shepard places a hand on my shoulder, but I shake it off. I’m furious and want to hit my father so hard.

Mom walks over and slaps Dad in the face. “How dare you talk to my son like that! He is in love with a gorgeous man who saved all of us! Where were you when the Reapers came? You were at home, praying that nothing would happen! Praying to your god while I went to town and did everything I could. I am Chinese and come from a long line of samurai warriors. I married you because I thought you were strong at heart. I have been proven wrong. I am the strong one as is Derek here. He fought the Reapers and managed to destroy them. Humanity cannot begin to thank him for all he has done for us and neither can the rest of the species of aliens in the galaxy. The least you can do is accept him into our family! If not, then you will be an unmarried man by midnight and I will have everything. Quit being a homophobe and love your son.”

We all stare at her, speechless. Even I can’t believe what my mother said.

Kim walks over and takes Derek’s hand. “Listen, Derek, you are a good man. A strong man. A hero. I want whatever makes my son happy. You make him happy. I cannot ask for more. All I want as a mother is to watch my son’s family grow and be the happiest. He is happiest around you. You are the light that brings him to life.  
“I watched him die a little every day for two long, painful years. I asked him what it was and he never told, except that it brought great sorrow to his heart. It killed me too. I could not bear it. Then, when he found out that you had lived, I saw him come to life again and I was relieved. I’ve known since then that he felt something for you. I watched you that day when you came to us and I knew that you were madly in love with him. And I was filled with great happiness that my son had found his soul mate.  
“I will support you and him through everything that life throws at you. No matter what happens, I will be here for both of you. You need not worry for there will always be someone there for you. I love you as I love my son. My son a little more, but you are like my son now. I wasn’t kidding when I said I am a descendant of the samurai warriors. And samurai are the ones who know, as I do.” She bows and looks to me. “Now, I overheard that we have dinner reservations to attend to. Let’s go!”

She walks ahead of us and Derek and I follow closely behind her. I hear my dad lumbering behind us and slip my hand into Derek’s. He looks at me with a bit of nervousness and I chuckle. “You’ve gone up against Reapers head-on yet my dad scares you?” I whisper.

“No, it’s just…never mind, I’ll let you know later.”

I cock an eyebrow but he kisses my forehead and I relent. We walk a ways down to the restaurant that Lana had apparently mentioned and we enter. The hostess greets us warmly.

“Ah, Commander Shepard and Major Alenko?”

“Yes?” Derek asks.

“Right this way.” She takes some menus and struts to a large table near the middle of the restaurant. I see Lana talking with another man and my stomach tightens. He’s about 220 pounds of muscle compacted in a 6 foot body. He shines intelligent hazel eyes in my direction and smiles. His jet black hair is styled to the right with a ton of hair gel. And I know exactly who he is. Everyone does. The hostess seats us, telling us that our server will be with us momentarily. 

“Hello, Kaidan. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says as we sit down.

“Hello, Mr. President of the United States. It’s good to meet you.”

“Please, call me Kristian.”

“Okay…Kristian. Oh, sorry, this is my dad, Michael, and my mom, Kim.”

Dad grunts.

“My, my, Mr. President. I had no idea that you were the father of the Great Shepard.”

“Well, his reputation out lives mine.”

“No, no, I know much about you! The things you’ve done for Earth and it’s colonies, you are phenomenal. And you must be Derek’s Mom!” Kim squeals.

“Please, call me Lana.”

“Lana! Oh my goodness, what a pretty name! Now, tell me, what has Derek told you about my son.”

Mom and Lana go into an in depth conversation and I find myself and Derek joining in as Kristian and Dad talk about sports and politics.

The server comes around and gets our drinks before rushing off again and we continue our conversations as if nothing happened. We get our drinks and I take a sip of my Merlot and notice that Derek got the same thing I did. I grin at him and kiss him. I hear Lana and Mom sigh as Dad grunts in disgust. I see that Kristian’s eyes flare at him but Dad doesn’t notice.

“Derek!” a feminine voice shouts from across the restaurant. I turn to see a woman rushing over and I notice Derek getting up.

“Selena?! What the hell, sis?” he asks as she runs right into him, hugging him fiercely.

“I heard that you were in town, so I called up Mom and she told me where you guys were, so I drove over here! Hey Dad, hey Mom!”

“Hey Selena! Take a seat!” Lana exclaims.

She sits across from me and next to Lana. “And who is this mighty fine gentleman across from me?”

“This is Kaidan and he is mine,” Derek growls playfully.

“Oh! You’re Kaidan! Derek never shuts up about you! Like, literally, never. I know more about you than I think your mom does!”

“Selena!” Derek moans.

“Fine, not all the time, but he mentions you a lot. I’m glad to finally meet you!” She smiles and I smile back. She shakes her aqua blue out of her small ponytail and it falls into a pixie cut that stops at the middle of her neck. She blinks her golden eyes at me and adjusts the spiked collar around her neck.

“So, Selena, what do you do?”

“I am an Alliance special ops agent, Omega Team. I do stuff like undercover work, assassinations, and other minor things like that. It’s a lot of fun, but the paperwork sucks so much.”

“Really? I never knew of the Omega Team.”

“It’s because we’re top secret government stuff, blah blah blah. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. Yesterday, I took down the new leader of the Blood Pack. He was one tough son of a bitch.”

“Let’s not discuss work at the dinner table. Oh, food!”

We eat and talk and drink when I feel hands clamp on my shoulders. “Well, well, little brother. Having dinner and you forgot to invite us.”

“Jesus! Don’t do that!” I cry out. The table erupts into laughter and Derek wraps his arm around me and kisses my temple.

The two boys sit down near Dad and I sigh. “These are my brothers, Perseus and Achilles.”

“Hey, I’m Perseus,” says the guy with black hair and brown eyes. He was smaller than us, but pretty built. He’s a pilot of a ship, the SSV Nebuchadnezzar, and he’s almost as good as Joker.

“Wassup, bitchachos? Name’s Achilles!” announces the guy with pale blonde hair and green eyes. He’s a soldier like us and he also serves on the SSV Nebuchadnezzar.

“Ah, that gang’s all here,” Selena says, chuckling.

“And who’s the pretty lady,” asks Achilles, touching her wrist.

She reacts fast, snatching his wrist, bending it back while flipping over him to pin him onto the table. There’s a black tinted throwing knife against his neck that I never saw on her. My family holds our breath while Derek’s family rolls their eyes collectively.

“Name’s Selena. Learn it. I don’t trust people easily, especially those who touch me without permission. I’m a fourth degree black belt in every area of martial arts as well as the top in my class in throwing knives. I’m a special agent of the Alliance and I have jurisdiction to kill anyone who poses a threat to me. You don’t want to be a threat. Do we understand each other?”

“Loud and clear, babe,” Achilles answers cockily. Selena grins back before returning to her seat. I can sense the chemistry there sparking heavily.

Dinner goes by rather quickly after that without much of an incident. Except for the fact of my obvious groping of Derek just to piss off my father and Mom was pretending to flirt with Lana, who was pretend flirting right back. By the end of the meal, Dad’s face was about the same shade of red as my wine.

“I’m beat,” Lana announces once we pay and we stand. “It was so nice to meet all of you. I look forward to doing this another time. And Kim, we have to have a girls’ night. I have some other military gals that could tag along.”

“I look forward to it! Nice to meet all of you!”

Selena comes over and punches my shoulder lightly. “I like you. Don’t break my brother’s heart or I’ll rip yours of your chest.”

“I understand and that will never happen.”

“Good.” She walks away to talk with Achilles.

Derek and I walk out of the restaurant and there’s almost no one around. “Come on, I want to show you something,” he tells me, pulling me along. I run with him and find myself walking along the Westminster Bridge, looking up at the giant Ferris wheel.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” I comment. Derek looks at me and smiles before walking towards the Ferris wheel. Miraculously, it is in great condition after the attack and what’s being called the Red Wave. We climb into a car and Derek nods to the director. The wheel starts to turn and soon, we’re rising over the streets of London and looking out.

Even with the destruction, the city looks…whole. It’ll take years to rebuild, but the city isn’t that bad off. We reach the top and we stop moving. I’ve never been one for heights but Derek’s arms comfort me. We walk to the glass and look out over the land.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

“Ready for what?” I ask right back.

“Watch.” He pulls out a remote and clicks a button. Suddenly, the whole city lights up as it once did. The buildings light up, the street lamps turn on, and the water fountains begin to spout. I watch with amazement and feel the tears begin to cloud my vision.

“You did this? For me?” I ask, trying hard not to cry.

“Of course I would.” He moves around in front of me and takes my hands in his. “Kaidan…I’ve waited for someone like you for the longest time. I thought I would never meet the love of my life, but I was wrong. You always believed in me, even after Horizon and on the Citadel. You trusted me and I trusted you. We’ve lived through a lot. Ash’s death, Saren and Sovereign, Harbinger. Those are just a few things that we have suffered through together. Kaidan…I need someone like you by my side to have my back and to love me as you do. I need you. I will never leave you, never cheat on you, and I will never betray you. I will only love you with my whole being. Words cannot describe how much I love you, only actions. I know I’ve fucked up before and I know I’ve been cold at times, but you bring the best out of me. You have changed me. And…” he closes his eyes as tears run down his cheeks. “And…shit, I had all of this written down…Kaidan…I need you. I want you. And I will always want you. I love you and that will never change. You are everything to me.”

“Derek,” I whisper as the tears I had been holding back run down my cheeks.

“So…there’s one question I want to ask you.” What he does next sends me into waves of crying and emotion.

He gets down on one knee and looks up at me with those blue eyes of his. “Kaidan Alenko, will you make me the luckiest man ever to be born and marry me?” He opens up a box to reveal a ring.

The ring is medium sized with little diamonds running along the band. It wasn’t feminine at all; it was very masculine. I look at it and look back to Derek and through the tears, I say what I’ve always wanted to say to him.

“Yes. A million times yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart was bleeding with feels as I wrote this. Mshenko is the best ship I have ever come across besides Sterek (Teen Wolf)
> 
> Love all my readers!


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